IN BRIEF:

Koda aide surrenders before IT

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Ranchi, Nov 9, (PTI):,

Nov 09 2009, 11:12am ist

updated: Nov 09 2009, 12:08pm ist

Devendra Mukhia, an alleged aide of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, on Monday surrendered before the Income Tax department here which wants to probe his involvement in the alleged hawala and illegal investments case.

Mukhia is among the four persons, who had failed to meet the November 6 deadline set by the IT department to appear before it for questioning in connection with Rs 2000 crore hawala transactions and illegal investments case. The scam surfaced after the department launched raids on 76 premises across the country on October 31, including on the residences of Koda.

Koda, who was the Mines minister during the Arjun Munda government from 2004, had retained the portfolio after taking over the reigns in September 2006. Koda has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it on November 13 and would be interrogated by IT officials from Tuesday, IT's Additional Director (Investigation), Ajit Srivastav, said. Meanwhile, the department is contemplating to issue arrest warrants against the other three wanted by it - Binod Sinha, Sanjay Kumar Choudhary and Manoj Punamiya.

Srivastava said the IT department had requested the ED to move the appropriate authorities to get all the emails exchanged by the accused during the last three years in connection with the illegal investments and hawala transactions. The decision comes after the department on Saturday took into possession all mine related documents to look into how mine leases were allotted during Koda's tenure as Mines minister under the Arjun Munda government and later under his own regime. The IT official said several teams were working in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jamshedpur and other places to gather evidence.

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